Motion picture projector



Jan. 18, 1944. R. J. MILLER MOTION PICTURE PROJECTOR Filed May 15, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR. 240101110 JM/uie B Y Jan. 18, 1944. R. J. MILLER MOTION PICTURE PROJECTOR Filed May 15, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 R m N E V W.

ew/vamp J/Y/Lu'e Patented Jan. 18, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MOTION PICTURE PROJECTOR Raymond J. Miller, Detroit, Mich asslgnor to American Pattern and Manufacturing 00., Detroit. Mich., a copartnership consisting of said Miller and Alfred E.

This invention relates to motion picture projectors and more particularly to improved means for supporting the lens assembly.

In the operation of motion picture projectors,

Wilson, Detroit, Mich. Application May 15, 1941, Serial No. 393,501

16 Claims. (01. 88-24) Yet a still further object oi the invention is to provide a novel bayonet attachment for detachably securing a lens tube assembly in a lens carrier arm in such a manner that the lens is always independent visual images carried by a continu- 5 positioned in the projector in proper spherical ous strip of film formed of any suitable material correction. are momentarily aligned with an aperture and Another object of the invention resides in the I are projected onto a screen by a light directed provision 01 an impr v focusing device w y through the film and aperture in such a manner a microm ter adjustment is pro d to ieeilias to create the illusion of motion. 10 tate iocusing and a locking device is provided to After the visual images or successively spaced lock the lens assembly in any iocused position. film frames are projected from the film by the A iurther object is to provide means for readily Projecting light the images are magnified by removing and replacing a lens assembly to permit suitable lenses in such a manner as to. be reprocleaning, inspection or repair without disturbing duced on a screen or a suitable size proportionate it the focused Position n the ph r y corrected to the size of the theater or other place where the Position of the l projector is being operated and the distance 0! Still a further object 01 the invention is to prothe screen from the projector. vide an improved and rugged lens carrying and It is desirable that means be provided to vary supporting member which can be economically the distance of the lens from the film to focus the go manufactured. images from the film irames onto the screen. Yet another object is to provide a lens s p- It is also desirable that the lens be securely ortin and c rry g b a t w ch ay readmounted in such a manner that the spherical ily removed as a unit from the proie tor head. axis of the lens be maintained in a substantially Ot e objects and edvanteies 01 s invention predetermined position. my will be apparent irom the ioilowing detailed de- An object or this invention is therefore to proeeriptieh considered in connection w h e vide a rigid mounting ior a lens assembly whereom r s dra ss. s ed or p s of by the distance between the lens and the film opi l s r ly. and t intended to define the erating position in the projector can be readily scope or h invention. reference be g d f varied to i'ocus the visual images irom the him so that purposetothesubioined claims. frames onto the screen. In the drawings wherein similar reference Another object 01 the invention is to provide characters reier to similar parts throughout the an improved lens carrying assembly which may several views: be detachably mounted on a lens carrier in such 18. 1 is a side elevation. P y in eeetion. f e a manner that it may be readily removed to clean 35 motion picture projector embodying the present the lens and may be replaced in such a manner nve t n. that the spherical axis of the lens is correct. Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially on A further object resides in the provision ot a I the line 2-2 or Fig. 1, looking in the direction 01 rugged and strong lens carrying agse m movthe arrows. ably mounted on a plurality or vertically spaced 4o 3 s n ar d ec ona v ew oi one derods in such a manner that the lenses are aclirehle form 1 mm inl l ra curately maintained in alignment with the pro- Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially jecting light. on the line 4-4 0! Fig. 1, looking in the direction Still another object oi the invention is to proor the arrows. vide a lens assembly movably mounted in a pro- 48 un 5 is a lectiohei View tekeh l l y Jector in such a manner that convection air cur- Oh the e 0! P 8- lookihl in h direction rents'around the lens are minimized by the proor the arrows. vision oi suitable sealing means to prevent the s- 6 18 n ieometric p l i i th lens fiow of air into the film compartment irom eerryml earound the lens assembly. 50 Fig. 7 is an isometric projection of a lens Another object resides in the provision of conadapter tube. centric clamping rings and improved lens adapt- Beiore explaining in detail the present inveners whereby lenses of varying sizes can be securei it i t be n rl ood h e inv ntion is ly mounted in a standard removable lens carrying not limited in its application to the details or tube assembly. construction and arrangement of parts illus- 2 H, trated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of description and not of limitation, and it is not intended to limit the invention claimed herein beyond the requirements of the prior art.

Referring now to the drawings, it will be observed that the invention is illustrated as being embodied in a motion picture projector having a main casing Ill. The space within the main casing I6 is divided by a substantially vertically extending wall I2 into a film compartment I4 and a mechanism compartment I6.

The film compartment I4 is virtually isolated from the mechanism compartment l6 and preferably contains all of the film driving andlight directing and focusing mechanism.

The mechanism compartment preferably contains all of the mechanism required to propel the film driving sprockets employed to intermittently align successively spaced film frames with an aperture of an aperture plate positioned in the film compartment and to drive a shutter to interrupt the flow of light through the-aperture and film to prevent streaking and visible fiicker ofv I the images on the screen. Upper and lower film feed sprockets l8 and having sprocket teeth 22 are positioned in the film compartment l4 and operate to withdraw film 24 from a film magazine positioned above a fire tray 26 and discharge it through an opening 28 preferably communicating with a sound head. After leaving the upper sprocket i8 the film 24 ispreferably directed between an aperture platehousing 30 and a pressure plate housing 32 and is directed over an intermittently driven sprocket 34. The film 24 is drawn into and discharged from the film compartment l4 at a sublongitudinally in the film compartment H by suitable motion transmitting mechanism interposed between the arm 42 and a fiange 62 carried by the bracket 56 and controlled by a lever 64.

Suitable lenses positioned in the film compartment i4 may be provided to magnify the images from the spaced film frames to reproduce them on the screen in a desired proportion.

Spaced lenses secured in a lens carrying barrel are employed in motion picture projectors to receive the projected images from the film and magnify them to be reproduced on a screen. Each lens assembly preferably includes an objective lens positioned closer to th aperture of the aperture plate and a projecting lens positioned forwardly of the objective lens.

Means may be provided to support the lenses in the film compartment i4 in such a manner that the lens assembly including the objective and the projecting lenses may be moved towards or away from the aperture of the aperture plate to permit focusing of the projected images on the screen.

One desirable form of such lens supporting means comprises a tubular lens carrier 10 having an arm 12 provided with a suitable bearing 14 slidably mounted on the middle rod 46 and an arm 16 provided with a plurality of bearings 16 slidably mounted on the lower rod 48. The lens 30 carrier is thus firmly supported in the film com 35 lens carrier 10 in the film compartment. This focusing bolt 80 is threaded through a boss 86 stantially constant speedy and spaced film frames 7 are momentarily aligned with the aperture of the aperture plate by the intermittently driven sprocket 34.

A shutter rotatably mounted in a housing 36 operates in synchronism with an intermittence movement positioned in a housing 38 carried by the wall 12 to interrupt the flow of projecting light as the film 24 is moved relative to the aperture of the aperture'plate by the intermittently driven sprocket 34. l

The pressure plate housing 32 is provided with spaced film engaging shoes including an inter mittence sprocket shoe 40 to yieldingly urge the positioned adjacent the aperture plate to maintainthe film in a substantially predetermined relation relative to the aperture of the aperture plate and to the intermittently driven sprocket 34.

The pressure plate housing 32 is preferably movable longitudinally in the film compartment l4 to separate it from the aperture plate housing 30 to enable the operator to thread film into the projector. The pressure plate housing 32 may be mounted on a carrier arm 42 slidably mounted on two of a plurality of vertically spaced rods 44, 46 and 48 in such a manner as to be supported on suitable bearings at three spaced points 50, 52 and 54 to provide a stable mounting.

The vertically spaced rods 44, 46 and 48 may be supported on a bracket 56 as by spaced screws 68, and the bracket 56 may be suitably attached to the intermediate wall 12 as by a plurality of spaced screws 60. The carrier arm 42 supporting the pressure plate housing 32 may be moved bodily movement of the carrier 10 may be accomplished by a focusing bolt 80 journalled in the front wall 82 of the casing Ill and provided with a manually operable actuating knob 84. The

fixed to the carrier I0 whereby upon rotation of the knob 84 the carrier 10 is moved longitudinally on the rods 46 and 48. A spring 88 may be interposed between the boss 86 and a fitting 90 to yieldingly urge the carrier Ill towards the film operating position and to prevent backlash, and in effect to give a micrometer focusing adjustment.

The entire lens supporting assembly including 5 the lens carrier 10, bracket 56, and carrier arms for the lens carrier, and the movable pressure plate housing may be removed from the film compartment l4 by simply removing the screws 60. The lens supporting rods 46 and together with the arms 12 and I6 and the lens carrier 10 may be removed from the bracket 56 by removing the screws 58 projecting through the rods 48 and 48..

Means may be provided to lock the lens carrier 10 in any adjusted position because it is unneces- 50 sary to refocus each time the lens and the lens supporting withdrawal tube are removed from the carrier 10 for inspection, cleaning or repair.

One desirable form of a locking device comprises a locking ring 92 threaded into the fitting 6540 and having a tapered inner end portion to engage an oppositely tapered end portion of a split ring or pair of locking segments 94 concentrically mounted on a shaft portion of the focusing bolt and positioned in the fitting 90.

In the operation of the focusing mechanism engagement between cooperating sides of adjacent threads of the bolt and the boss 00. when the desired focused position has been attained the locking ring 02 is rotated whereupon the tapered end walls engaging the tapered ends of the locking segments 04 urge the locking segments securely into engagement with the shaft portion of the focusing bolt 00 to lock the bolt against rotation relative to the fltting 00 and front wall 02.

The space between the pressure plate housing 02 and the lens carrier I0 may be shielded by a telescoping ring 00 to prevent the escape of light rays and to permit longitudinal movement of the housing 22 to enable the operator to threadfllm into the projector and longitudinal movement of the lens carrier to permit focusing.

Lens holding means may be provided to detachably lock the lenses in the lens carrier 10 and in a sleeve I00 attached to the carrier I0 by a plu-' rality of screws I02. The sleeve I00 extends forwardly from the carrier 10 towards the front wall 02 of the main casing I0. A sleeve I04 aligned with the sleeve I00 is attached to the front wall 02 and is provided with a radially extending flange to engage the front wall to prevent the flow of air currents and dust or dirt into the fllm compartment I4.

The lenses may be maintained in a substantially predetermined angular and longitudinal relation relative to the film operating position whereby the spherical axis and the focal plane of the lenses remain unchanged by removal and replacement of the lens supporting withdrawal tube assembly.

One desirable form of such lens holding means comprises a lens supporting withdrawal tube IIO having a plurality of longitudinally spaced split clamping rings II: and II4 adapted to engage and lock the lens carrying barrel. The split clamping rings H2 and H4 are provided on each side with male tapered sidewalls adapted to be engaged and actuated by cooperating female tapered side walls carried by the withdrawal tube III and solid ringsi I0 and III slidably mounted in the tube H0. The ring H0 is provided with oppositely disposed female tapered side walls to lens carrying barrels which it is desired to support. The spaced ribs I20 and I20 may be interconnectzed by longitudinally extending webs I20 and I0 The webs I20 may be split longitudinally from the outer rib I20 as illustrated whereby the end of the adapted tube I24 adjacent the ribs I20 may compress under the influence of the split clamping ring II2 to engage one end of the lens carrying barrel. The webs I02 lying in a different plane than the webs I20 may also be split longitudinally from the outer rib I20 as illustrated whereby the end of the adapter tube I24 adjacent the ribs I20 may compress under the force exerted by the split clamping ring II4 to engage the periphery of the other end of the lens carrying barrel to lock it concentrically in the adapter tube I24.

Means may be provided to detachably lock the withdrawal tube H0 in a substantially predetermined position longitudinally and angularly relative to the lens carrier 10 and the sleeve I00.

The rearward end of the withdrawal tube IIO may be tapered as indicated at I40 to engage a reversely tapered section I40 of the lens carrier 10 to maintain the withdrawal tube and its lenses in a predetermined longitudinal relation relative to the carrier arm I0 and the operating position of the fllm.

An indexing ring I42 may be concentrically mounted in the sleeve I00 and lens carrier I0. As illustrated in Fig. 5, the indexing ring I42 is maintained in a fixed angular relation relative to the sleeve I00 by a key I44 secured to the sleeve I00 and extending longitudinally in a slot formed in the indexing ring I42. The indexing ring I42 may be yieldingly urged towards the lens carrier 10 and fllm operating position by a spring I40 interposed between the ring I42 and an inwardly directed flange I40 carried by the sleeve I00.

Locking means such for example as cooperating bayonet attachment locking segments I00 and I02 may be provided between the withdrawal 40 tube IIO and the indexing ring I42. The locking engage the male tapered side walls of the split 'the ring III and move it longitudinally iii the withdrawal tube III to compress the clamping rings H2 and 'I I4 into engagement with the lens carrying barrel to lock it in the withdrawal tube III.

Means may be provided to support lens carrying barrels of varying sizes in the withdrawal tube IIO. One desirable form of lens supporting mechanism comprises an adapter tube I24 illustrated in Fig. 7.

The lens adapter tube I24 may be made rels of varying diameters to hold them in concentric alignment within the withdrawal tube III. As illustrated the lens adapteris in the form or a cylinder having a plurality of spaced ribs I20 and I20 of suitable outside diameter to be received within the tube III and be engaged by the split clamping rings H2 and H4. The internal diameter of diflerent adapter tubes varies in accordance with the diameter of the segments I00 and I02 are of different angular length whereby it is only possible to insert the withdrawal tube III into the indexing ring I42 in one angular position in a complete revolution.

The locking segments I00 and I02 of the indexing ring and of the withdrawal tube have their initially contacting portions bevelled to facilitate rotation of the tube towards the locking position In the indexing ring I42. The indexing ring I42 00 is provided with a pin I04 to engage in a notch I00 of the locking segment I02 of the withdrawal tube I I0 to limit rotational movement of the tube IIII within the ring I42 and to maintain the withdrawal tube in a predetermined angular rela- 00 tion relative to the indexing ring and lens carrier II.

To remove the withdrawal tube IIO from the projector to clean or replace the lenses the forward end oi the tube is grasped and rotated in 00 the counterclockwise direction. The locking segvarying sizes to accommodate lens carrying barments I00 and I02 of the tube become aligned with the slots between the cooperating locking segments of the indexing ring I42 whereupon the withdrawal tube IIO can be pulled forwardly and withdrawn from the lens carrier I0.

70 I00 and I02 are aligned with the slots between the locking segments of the indexing ring I42. It will be noted that since th'elocking segments I50 and I52 are of different angular length, the tube can be inserted in only one angular position. The spherical axis of the lens is therefore correct when the tube is moved to the locked position.

The tapered end portion I30 of the withdrawal tube H is placed in contact with the female tapered portion I40 of the lens carrier I0. The tube is then rotated in the clockwise direction whereupon the initially contacting portions of the locking segments of the tube and indexing ring cause the ring to move axially compressing the spring I46. When the tube has been rotated a substantially predetermined amount the pin I54 carried by the indexing ring I42 engages within the notch I56 and locks the tube H0 in a predetermined angular position. The spring I46 exerts a force through the indexing ring and locking segments I50 and I52 to yieldingly urge the withdrawal tube in assembled position with the tapered portions of the tube and carrier arm I38 and I40, respectively, in engagement.

It will be noted that the lenses may be readily removed from the projector for cleaning and replaced without disturbing the focused position and without changing the spherical axis of the lens.

The lens assembly may be virtually isolated from the main casing I0 of the projector to minimize the fiow of air currents, heat and dust to the lens assembly. As illustrated in Fig. 3, the bracket 56 which supports the lens carrier I0 may be separated from the screws 60 attaching it to the intermediate wall I2 by means of bushings I58 formed of material having a low rate of heat conductivity to retard the flow of heat from the intermediate wall I2. If desired, suitable insulating material may be interposed between the rod 46 and 48 carrying the lens assembly and the bracket 56. I

The withdrawal tube IIO may be separated from the sleeve I04 by a resilient ring I60 formed of rubber o other suitable material to prevent the flow of air through the space between the front wall 82 of th main casing I0 and the withdrawal tube II 0. Since dust and dirt are eliminated from the film compartment I4, the film and film guiding and driving members are not subjected to excessive wear caused by the abrasive action of dust thereon. The lenses are therefore subjected to minimum variation of temperature whereby aberration occasioned by distortion of the lenses caused by variation of the retained heat in the lenses is virtually eliminated. Since no air can be drawn into the film compartment around the withdrawal tube the possibility of dust and dirt collecting on the lenses is minimized. The telescoping ring 98 interposed between the lens carrier and the pressure plate housing 32 prevents the inflow or air to the lens assembly from the film compartment I4, and the film compartment is closed by a door I64.

This is a continuation-in-part of my co-pending application Serial No. 250,310, filed January 11, 1939, and which has become Patent No. 2,312,663 dated March 2, 1943.

I claim:

1; In a motion picture projector, a casin having a front wall, a film compartment in the easing, a plurality of spaced rods extending longitudinally in the film compartment, a lens carrier movably mounted on said rods, motion transmitting means between the front wall and the lens carrier, manually operable means to actuate the motion transmitting means to move the lens carrier on the rods to focus projected images, means to lock the motion transmitting means to maintain the lens carrier in any focused position, a lens supporting tube and connecting means between thelens carrier and the lens supporting tube comprising a bayonet attachment so constructed and arranged that the lens supporting tube can'be readily removed from the lens carrier for cleaning or repair Without disturbing the focused position of the lens carrier and replaced therein in a substantially predetermined angular relation such that the spherical axis of the lens is correct.

2. In a motion picture projector having'a main casing, a film compartment in the casing, a lens carrier in the film compartment, a lens supporting withdrawal tube, cooperating tapered surfaces interposedbetween the lens carrier and withdrawal tube, a sleeve between the lens carrier and the front wall of the casing, an indexing ring concentrically mounted in the sleeve, cooperating unsymmetrically disposed bayonet attachment locking segments interposed between the indexing ring and withdrawal tube whereby the lens tube can be positioned in the lens carrier in one angular position only, and yielding means urging the indexing ring and withdrawal tube towards the lens carrier to maintain said tapered surfaces in contact to position the lens tube in a predetermined longitudinal position in the film compartment.

3. In a motion picture projector having a main casing, a wall dividing the space within the casing into mechanism and film compartments, an aperture plate in the film compartment, a plurality of spaced rods carried by said wall and extending longitudinally in the film compartment, a lens carrier supportedly mounted at three spaced points on said rods for longitudinal movement in the film compartment, manually operable means including a threaded member interposed between the casing and lens carrier to move the lens carrier longitudinally in the film compartment relative to the aperture plate to focus pro- 'jected images, a lens supporting tube, connecting means between the lens carrier and the lens supporting tube, said connecting means being so constructed and arranged that the tube can be detachably locked in the lens carrier in substantially predetermined angular and longitudinal positions, and sealing means between the casing and the lens supporting tube.

4. In a motion picture projector, a filin compartment having a fixed wall, a lens carrier mounted on said wall for longitudinal movement in the film compartment, manually operable means to move the lens carrier relative to the wall to focus projected images, locking,- means to maintain the lens carrier in any focused position, a lens supporting tube, a plurality of longitudinally spaced contractable lens clamping rings in the lens supporting tube, means including a member threaded into the tube to contract the clamping rings, connecting means between the lens carrier and the lens supporting tube comprising a bayonet attachment so constructed and arranged that the lens supporting tube can be readily removed from th lens carrier for cleaning or repair without disturbing the focused position of the lens carrier and replaced therein in a substantially predetermined angular and longitudinally focused relation such that the spherical axis of the lens is correct, and yielding means urging the lens supporting tube towards the assembled position relative to the lens carrier.

5. In a motion picture projector having a main casing, a'film compartment in the casing, a lens carrier in the film compartment, a lens supporting withdrawal tube, cooperating tapered sur-' faces carried by the lens carrier and withdrawal tube, a sleeve between the lens carrier and the front wall of the casing, an indexing ring associated' with the carrier arm and said sleeve,

means to maintain theindexing ring in a predetermined angular relation relative to the lens' female tapered surface, a plurality of split clamp-,

ing rings having male tapered side walls, one of said male tapered side walls being positioned to engage the internal female tapered surface of the tube, a solid ring interposed between the clamping rings and having female tapered side walls positioned to engage the male tapered side walls of the clamping rings, a solid ring having a female tapered side wall positioned to engage the male tapered side wall of one of the clamping rings, and a sleeve threaded into the tube to engage the last mentioned solid ring to urge said rings towards the internal female tapered surface of the tube to compress the split clamping rings.

7. A lens carrying member for a motion picture projector comprising a tube, a plurality of contractable clamping rings spaced longitudinally in the tube and having male bevelled side walls, a solid ring having female bevelled side walls interposed between the clamping rings, and a collar threaded into the end of the tube to urge the contractable clamping rings into engagement with the solid rings to compress the clamping rings.

8. A lens carrying member for a motion picture projector comprising a tube having an internal female tapered surface, a plurality of split clamping rings having male tapered side walls, one of said male tapered side walls being positioned to engage the internal female tapered surface of the tube, a solid ring interposed between the clamping rings and having female tapered side walls positioned to engage the male tapered side walls of the clamping rings, a solid ring having a female tapered side wall positioned to engage the male tapered side wall of one of the clamp ing rings, a sleeve threaded into the tube to engage the last mentioned solid ring to urge said rings towards the internal female tapered surface of the tube to compress the split clamping rings, and a plurality of bayonet locking segments carried by the tube.

9. In a motion picture projector, a housing, a wall dividing the space within the projector into mechanism and film compartments, an aperture plate in the film compartment, a bracket detachably connected to said wall, a pair of vertically spaced longitudinally extending supports carried by the bracket, a lens carrier supported at at least three spaced points on said vertically spaced supports for longitudinal movement in the film compartment relative to the aperture plate to focus projected images, motion transmitting means between the housing and lens carrier to move the lens carrier, means to lock-said lens carrier in any focused position, and a lens supporting withdrawal tube detachably connected to the lens carrier.

10. A motion picture projector comprising a housing, a wall dividing the space within the pro- ,jector into mechanism and film compartments,

an aperture plate in the film compartment, .a bracket detachably connected to said wall, a pair of vertically spaced longitudinally extending supports carried by the bracket, resilient means interposed between said supports and wall, a lens carrier supported at at least three spaced points on said vertically spaced supports for longitudinal movement in the film compartment relative to the aperture plate to focus projected images, motion transmitting means between the housing and lens carrier to move the lens carrier, means to lock said lens carrier in any focused position, a lens supporting withdrawal tube projecting through the housing and detachably connected .to the lens carrier, andresilient means between the housing and lens supporting withdrawal tube.

11. In a motion picture projector having a main casing including a front wall, a wall dividing the space within the easing into mechanism and film compartments, an aperture plate in the film compartment, a lens carrier movably mounted on the dividing wall for longitudinal movement in the film compartment, manually operable means to move the 'lens carrier longitudinally in the film compartment relative to the aperture plate to focus projected images, locking means between the front wall of the main casing and the lens carrier, manually operable means for the locking means to maintain the lens carrier in any longitudinally focused position in the film compartment, 9. lens holding tube, connecting means between the lens carrier and the lens holding tube whereby the lens holding tube may be readily removed from the lens carrier and replaced therein in predetermined angular and longitudinal positions without disturbing the spherical axis and focused positions of the lens.

12. In a motion picture projector having a film compartment including a front wall, a lens carrier in the film compartment, manually operable means including a threaded stud journaled in the front wall and operablyconnected to the lens carrier to move the lens carrier longitudinally in the film compartment to focus projected images, yielding means urging the lens carrier into engagement with one side of the threads of the stud to provide a micrometer adjustment, locking means between the front wall and stud, manually operable means to actuate the locking means to lock the lens carrier in any focused position, a lens holding tube, connecting means between the lens carrier and the lens holding tube whereby the lens holding tube may be readily removed from the lens carrier and replaced therein in predetermined angular and longitudinal positions without disturbing the spherical axis and focused positions of the lens.

13. In a motion picture projector having a casing including a film compartment, a lens carrier movable longitudinally in the film compartment for focusing projected images, manually operable means to clamp the lens carrier in any focused position in the film compartment, a lenssupporting withdrawal tube, cooperating tapered surfaces between the lens carrier and the withdrawal tube, connecting means between the withdrawal tube and the lens carrier comprising. a bayonet attachmentso constructed and arranged that the lens-supporting withdrawal tube can be readily removed from the lens carrier'for cleaning or repair and replaced therein in a predeterminedlongitudinal position without disturbing the focused position of the lens, and yielding means between the lens carrier and the withdrawal tubeto urge said tapered surfaces into engagement when the tube is assembled in the lens carrier. v

14. In a motion picture projector, a housing, a plurality of horizontally extending rods in the housing, a lens tube carrier arm slidably mounted on a plurality of said rods, manually operable means including a member journaled in the housing to move the carrier arm on the rods, means associated with the housing and said member to lock the carrier arm relative to the rods, a lens supporting tube, connecting means between the tube and carrier arm comprising a locking connection so constructed and arranged that the lens-supporting'tube may be removed from the carrier arm and replaced therein in predetermined angular and longitudinal positions without disturbing the spherical axis and focused position of the lens, and resilient means interposed between the housing and the lenssupporting tube to substantially seal the space between the housing and the lens tube when said tube is replaced in the carrier arm.

15. In a motion picture projector having a main casing including a front wall, a film compartment in the casing. a lens-supporting bracket in the film compartment, a lens carrier movable longitudinally on said bracket in the film compartment to focus projected images, a lens-supporting withdrawal tube projecting through the front wall of the main casing, -mechanical connecting means between the lenssupporting tube and the lens carrier whereby the tube may be readily removed from the lens carrier for cleaning or repair and reassembled therein in predetermined angular and longitudinal positions without disturbing the spherical axis and focused position of the lens, and sealing means between the front wall and the lenssupporting withdrawal tube whereby flow of air into the film compartment around the withdrawal tube is virtually eliminated. v

16. In a motion picture projector having a main casing including a front wall, an intermediate wall dividing the space within the casing into mechanism and film compartments, a lens carrier in the film compartment, thermally insulated connecting means between the lens carrier and the intermediate wall, a lens-supporting withdrawal tube projecting through the front wall, mechanical connecting means between the lens-supporting tube and the lens carrier whereby the tube may be readily removed from the lens carrier for cleaning or repair and reassembled therein in predetermined angular and longitudinal positions without disturbing the spherical axis and focused position of the lens, and thermally insulating material between the withdrawal tube andthe front wall.

RAYMOND J. MILLER. 

